Patna: Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour, has finalised an expansion plan to supply certified Sabour Makhana-1 seeds to nine non-traditional states, aiming to scale up national production and strengthen market prospects for the crop.
The decisions were made at a high-level meeting held on December 26 and chaired by BAU vice-chancellor Dr D.R. Singh. The initiative is expected to introduce makhana cultivation in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.
Under the plan, BAU and its affiliated centres will release 100 quintals of verified ‘Truthfully Labelled’ (TFL) seeds, priced at Rs 255 per kg, enough to cover approximately 30 hectares of cultivation. Each participating state will initially receive material for an average of three hectares, with technical guidance bundled into the distribution process.
Seed availability has been secured through BPASC Purnia and KVKs in Araria and Katihar, while farmers will also receive packaging material and a production manual. “Makhana is emerging as a strategic crop in terms of nutrition, rural incomes and export potential,” Singh said. “Sabour Makhana-1 gives us a scientific foundation to take Bihar’s expertise to other states.”
BAU will also send full documentation of the initiative to the National Makhana Board in Delhi, with the aim of completing seed allocations in the first week of January.
On the research front, a 14.7-hectare breeder seed programme for 2025–26 has been cleared, covering Purnia, Katihar, Araria, Supaul, Kishanganj and Saharsa. A farmer-participatory seed production scheme is expected to follow, pending demand assessments from the National Makhana Board.
Research director Dr A.K. Singh stressed that the expansion was anchored in “genetic purity, timely seed supply and a KVK-driven extension model. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks and a reaffirmation of BAU’s commitment to developing makhana as a national crop.
